Eat More High-Fat Dairy Products To Protect Yourself

Men's Health |
17 September 2014

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Dietary fats could play a crucial role in the development of type 2 diabetes because it may affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. There have been a variety of studies that have indicated to replace saturated fats with both mono and polyunsaturated fats, which might have favourable effects in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. This is why plant fats have been seen as a better source and choice compared with animal fats as well as the facts of how high intakes of red meat and meat products increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Many studies have also indicated how high intakes of dairy products may be protective and new research that was presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes aimed to investigate just that. The study included 26 930 individuals of which 60% were women aged between 45-74 years old. All their dietary data was collected and during the 14 years of follow-ups around 2860 incidents of type 2 diabetes were identified.

What the research found was that high intakes, eight or more portions a day, of high-fat dairy products was associated with a 23% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes compared with the lowest consumption of one portion a day. The research then goes further into specific types of high-fat dairy product consumption like cream. Those in the highest consuming, 20% of the study group, with high intakes of cream, 30ml or more a day compared to the lowest 20% only consuming 0.3ml a day or less was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

High-fat fermented milk consumption also reduced the risks of developing type 2 diabetes by 20% when comparing the highest consumers, 180ml a day (10% of top consumers), with non consumers (60%). High fat meats, 90g a day, had a 9% increased risk of the development of type two diabetes compared to low fat meats, around 80g a day, with 24% increased risk of diabetes development. So regardless of fat content, high intake of meat and meat products is always seen as an increasing risk factor to develop type 2 diabetes.